Jaguar XFR-S is launched on Goodwood Festival of Speed press day

Making its global debut at the Goodwood Hill during the press launch day of the Goodwood Festival of Speed is the new Jaguar XFR-S, prototype version of carmaker’s fastest sports saloon. Finished in Italian Racing Red, the Jaguar XFR-S was driven in front of the press at Goodwood by Andy Wallace, victor of the 1988 Le Mans 24 Hours.

Joining the Jaguar XFR-S at press day of Goodwood Festival of Speed are some of the carmaker’s winning sports vehicles. Among them is a 1962 Jaguar Mk. II prepared by Jaguar Heritage Racing and a 1954 ‘short nose’ Jaguar D-Type that is also a development prototype. The vehicles were displayed by the Jaguar Heritage Trust in front of Goodwood House.

The new Jaguar XFR-S, first unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2012, could accelerate from rest to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds and reach an electronically limited top speed of 186mph (300km/h). The XFR-S builds on the performance of the much-praised Jaguar XFR to become a more focused sports car.

The Jaguar XFR-S boasts of providing more output and torque (plus 40PS and 55Nm respectively) than the XFR, thanks to its 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine that results in 550PS of output and 680Nm in torque. Despite this increase in performance, the XFR-S retains more or less the same fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Interested buyers in the United Kingdom could now order the new Jaguar XFR-S at £79,995.

According to Wayne Burgess, Jaguar Design Studio Director, the carmaker’s design team was mindful about having the Jaguar XFR-S’ aerodynamic solutions dictate its aesthetics. These aerodynamic solutions are also what’s needed for the vehicle to deliver performance. The XFR-S, he noted, is a focused and concentrated car and its design revisions as well as the materials it uses all reflect this fact. With these changes under its skin, the Jaguar XFR-S’s appearance has been subtly modified to enable the vehicle to fully achieve its potential.

Moreover, the new Jaguar XFR-S’s deeper front bumper incorporates air intakes, with the lower central one being framed in carbon fiber, so as to give the engine bay an adequate airflow. Additionally, the use of carbon fiber helps in forming the front splitter located at the bumper’s lower edge. This is the first of several aerodynamic changes that have been designed to smooth the car’s passage through the air at high speeds.

What’s more, the car’s extended side sills as well as its aeroblade moldings behind its front wheels create a strong break-off point between its lower bodywork and the surface of the road so as to keep airflow attached to its sides as long as possible.

A similar way of thinking dictated the deep side moldings positioned behind the rear wheels. Also, this extended rear bumper incorporates a central, carbon fiber diffuser, which travels much further under the car’s rear to reduce lift.

In addition, the rear lift is decreased through the fitment of the bootlid-mounted spoiler so as to manage airflow off the car’s top rear surface. There are also two options available, both designed with the help of computational fluid dynamics in order to provide well-balanced aerodynamics. The larger rear wing is built with a center section made of carbon-fiber aerofoil.